This is embarrassing but, I have to go down to a 14x2 air filter from a 14x3, good ole hood clearance issue. I can close the hood but the motor doesn't have enough room to rock unless I remove the insulation from the hood, I checked this with putty. So, since I have to shorten the element, would one of those flow through lids work to recover some air flow? Always thought they were a gimmick type thing. I'm having trouble because I swapped to a plastic body demon carb a while back, had fuel boiling going on with the eddy carb it came with. Demon fixed the boiling but didn't run as good. So I was given an 850 eddy and rebuilt it, put that plus the heat plate the demon came with on, and the discovered the problem above. Car is a 64 skylark with a 455, edelbrock performer intake, and already has a drop base air cleaner. Runs way better with the bigger carb, and no more boiling.
In dyno test you can view on you tube on air cleaners they prove that a flow thru type lid cuts into power, not help it! Also these dyno test do not account for the hotter air the motor sucks inthe closer to the bottom of the hood you get .
I figured that was the case. This will have to do until I get a cowl welded on, which won't happen for a while. How bad is it to lose an inch? Keep it clean,lol.
If your that tight to the hood I don't think an open top will help. The air needs a certain amount of room to flow into the lid. What would help in your case is a cowl hood like the Chevy hoods.
Not all drop bases are the same. Check your drop, you may be able to get that 1/2" or so that you need.
Wow, now that is a drop base. Amazing what a search will do before spending anything. I’d have to get the banjo fitting for the carb and hard fuel line elbow to use that base, plus I doubt the mechanical throttle linkage would clear. Thank you all for the replies.
I bought a drop base at a local speed shop that sells a lot of dirt track stuff. The air filter lip is literally 1/8 inch above the front fuel inlet on my Quadrajet. Can't get it any closer. edit... I'm running a throttle cable setup, and not the original throttle rod setup.
I had to use a 2" element when I dropped a 455 in to my '64 Skylark. Edelbrock B4B and Holley carb with a drop base designed for a Holley and I still had interference with the hood. I used a high flow K&N filter and it never felt down on power. There's a formula that calculates optimum air filter size depending on engine specs and a 14x2 is adequate for a mild built 455.
